Method of processing a food product having a liquid content

Abstract

A method and a relevant facility for the treatment of an alimentary product with a liquid content calls for a step in which this whole alimentary product is disintegrated and in which the disintegrated alimentary product is for the first time at such a temperature as to undergo an evaporation, and calls for subsequent steps of processing of the disintegrated alimentary product; the evaporate resulting from the evaporation is condensed and collected, with the flavoring substances contained in the evaporate being recovered.

We claim: 
     
       1. A method for processing a food product having a liquid, comprising: (a) deaerating the food product;   (b) disintegrating said deaerated food product;   (c) heating said disintegrated food product to a temperature for forming an evaporate containing flavor substances;   (d) condensing and collecting said evaporate of the food product to thereby form a condensate; and   (e) recovering said flavor substances from said evaporate; wherein the above steps (a) through (e) are substantially immediately after one another.   
     
     
       2. The method of claim 1, further comprising increasing the proportion of said flavor substances in said condensate. 
     
     
       3. The method of claim 2, further comprising fractionally distilling said condensate to thereby increase the proportion of said flavor substances. 
     
     
       4. The method of claim 2, further comprising fractionally condensing said condensate to thereby increase the proportion of said flavor substances. 
     
     
       5. The method of claim 3, wherein said fractional distillation is carried out continuously. 
     
     
       6. The method of claims 3 or 4 wherein said fractional distillation includes rectification. 
     
     
       7. The method of claims 1 or 2 wherein the step of condensing and collecting the evaporate comprises condensing the evaporate at less than atmospheric pressure to thereby form a condensed portion and an uncondensed portion, and condensing said uncondensed portion at or above atmospheric pressure. 
     
     
       8. The method of claims 1 or 2 further comprising collecting the condensate, said condensate containing flavor substances, and mixing said collected condensate containing said flavor substances with the food product at the end of step (e). 
     
     
       9. The method of claim 1, wherein steps (b) and (c) are conducted substantially concurrently to thereby produce a first evaporate. 
     
     
       10. The method of claim 9 further comprising producing a second evaporate after said first evaporate and producing said evaporate from said first and second evaporate. 
     
     
       11. The method of claims 9 or 1 wherein said heating step is carried out by forced circulation. 
     
     
       12. The method of claim 1 wherein the food product has peels and seeds further comprising a step of removing peels and seeds from the product of step (c). 
     
     
       13. The method of claim 12 further comprising concentrating the product obtained from said peels and seeds removal step.